Ingredients
For 8 people
6 pounds fish (unskinned and unboned), or 5 pounds if using filets
1 1/12 to 2 pounds shellfish
1/3 cup olive oil
3 onions, chopped
1 white part of leek, chopped coarsely
5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
5 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped coarsely or 5 canned tomatoes, squeezed dry
1/2 green pepper, chopped (optional)
1 fennel bulb (anise), chopped, or 2 Tablespoons fennel seeds
1 bay leaf
3 cloves
2 long strips of the zest of an orange
1 stalk of fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3 top 4 good pinches of saffron
Preparation
In one pan bring 2 1/2 quarts of water and two glasses (about 15 ounces total) of dry white wine to a boil. Keep hot until later.
In another large pan put in enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Add onions, leek, and garlic; cover and keep at high heat for 3 minutes. Uncover and add the rest of the oil, tomatoes, green pepper, fennel, orange peel, thyme and saffron. Cover and keep at high heat for another 3 minutes.
Add firm fish to this pot. Pour boiling waters and wine mixture, from other pot, over the fish. There should be barely enough to cover the ingredient s in the pot. If not, add a little more water (or wine). Bring quickly to a slow boil and keep it boiling for 5 minutes.
Add less firm fish and any large shellfish (crab, lobster, large shrimp, etc.) that need some time to cook. Boil for 5 or 6 minutes more. Now add well scrubbed clams, mussels, oysters, and small shrimp. After one or two minutes, take the whole pot off the fire and serve.
Traditionally, the fish and shell fish are lifted out of the broth and placed on a deep large platter, sprinkled with parsley and passed separately. The broth is ladled into flat soup bowls over French bread croutons. I actually prefer to place some fish and shellfish around the bread in each dish and then ladle the soup over top.
